A Harmonious Community

Campers have spent the last two full weeks together, living in a community of naturalists and nature enthusiasts from a range of backgrounds. There can’t be many places in the world that’re quite like the Preserve. Along with all of it’s natural wonders, it seems that it also creates a wonderful little society of ecological understanding, imagination and a certain awareness of respect for all things. After two weeks, we’ve done it all. We’ve gone on every mentor hike that exists on the land. We’ve ventured to DuPont to swim and play in the pool below High Falls. We’ve experienced four full-day Group Learning Projects, from pie baking to torch making. We’ve hit the dream shot at the archery range, dozens of times. A Grand Slam led to an epic ice cream party and movie night in the lodge. Our morning win-de-ya-ho sounds like we’ve been harmonizing as a group for years, but, then again, that’s kind of true.

A great number of our campers, for this particular session, have been coming to GRP for longer than much of the staff. This place really is home. Right now, every one of our campers is(hopefully) in bed, asleep, packed and ready for what we all know as the Pretty Place Pilgrimage. At four o’clock a.m., the camp will awaken, and take the starlit journey to the Pretty Place Chapel, for what may be a glorious sunrise. With each passing moment, we all secretly remember that time at camp is limited, though we all wish that it wouldn’t be. What we do out loud in each moment is live to seek the joy of being alive.

Story by Brandon S. Marshall with Photos by Samantha J. Keebler & Brandon S. Marshall